


Never let me go

by LiteratureNerd



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Child Abuse, Corporal Punishment, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 11:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18030620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteratureNerd/pseuds/LiteratureNerd
Summary: Growing up in the Horde wasn't easy, neither for Catra nor for Adora. The worst thing about this? They never knew a different life. They just accepted however they were treated.





	Never let me go

**Author's Note:**

> I'm convinced that corporal punishments are a normal thing in the Horde, especially for someone as 'hated' as Catra. So here is a short story about a younger Catra and Adora, I'd say they're about 13-14.

“Catra? Where are you?” Adora was ‘yelling’ as quietly as she could. She was looking for her best friend, but simultaneously she didn’t want to get in trouble for being loud and disturbing any of the soldiers. As a cadet there were strict rules regarding behavior, and getting in trouble was one of those things she absolutely wanted to avoid at all cost. She sighed when there was no answer, just where was that feline? Adora started to worry.

Growing up in the Horde had never been easy, but for both Catra and Adora it was the only world they had ever known. They didn’t understand the concept of parental love, what it felt like to get a warm hug after a long exhausting day, they didn’t know what it was like to hear kind words for trying your best. In the Horde, punishments were a daily occurrence and none of the cadets ever questioned them – sure, they hated and dreaded them, but it was not like they could avoid them. Showing weakness wasn’t allowed, failure was inacceptable – the beatings were often brutal and severe. Both Adora and Catra had learned this the hard way, Catra more so than the blonde girl.

While Adora was obedient, smart and good at sports, Catra was a natural trouble maker.Of course even Adora did get occasional beatings, but usually the worst that happened to her was a small spanking. Even Shadow Weaver messing with her head happened rarely. Catra on the other hand… 

Even now as a teenager she still got into as much trouble as a young, curious kitten. Everytime Shadow Weaver dragged her off to ‘deal’ with her, Adora felt her own hands getting sweaty and her heart beating faster. Some days Catra would refuse to talk to her afterwards and all she did was curled up into a tiny ball in a dusty corner. Other days she would find the feline lying on one of the beds, her ears flattened and her entire body trembling from either fear or pain.

Like this time.

She hadn’t seen Catra in a few hours, so when Adora finally found her best friend she was lying on her stomach on her own bed. Her face was buried in the sad excuse of a pillow the horde gave to all cadets, both hands carefully held her backside while her tail flicked in a distressed way through the air. Since Catra’s whole body shook and trembled, Adora knew immediately that the feline was sobbing. 

“Hey…” She carefully sat down on the bed next to the cat-girl and gently placed a hand on her back. Catra flinched. 

“Shadow Weaver…?” Catra barely reacted except for a tiny nod. It was no secret that Shadow Reaper particularly disliked Catra, though nobody knew exactly why. 

The blonde girl didn’t say anything for a while after that, instead she rubbed the still crying girl’s back as gently as possible. She continued shaking and trembling, but her fluffy tail had stopped flicking in distress. It was something at least.

“Let me see…” Said Adora after a while, if their so-called mentor had actually hurt Catra then she needed to know and act. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Like always, she wanted to add but stopped herself from speaking her thoughts. Catra nodded again. Adora was probably the only person in the whole world the young feline trusted. After some hesitation she removed both her hands so the blonde could pull her training shorts down. “Oww…” Catra winced when the rough fabric rubbed against the sore and beaten skin. Adora’s eyes widened in shock. 

Catra’s entire backside was covered in countless harsh, angry looking welts. “What… did she…” She couldn’t finish the question but she didn’t need to. “Switch.” Catra replied with anger and venom in her still shaking voice. “She s-said I n-needed to learn a lesson!” She managed to say through gritted teeth and Adora nodded. Adora had been switched exactly one time, and not even by Shadow Weaver. It had happened after messing up an important battle simulation, so their commanding officer had decided to punish her. Ten strokes in total. Those few strokes had been burning like mad though, so she didn’t want to imagine the pain her friend was in right now.

“The good news are that she didn’t break the skin. You aren’t bleeding.” The young girl said carefully. “But you will feel them for a while, she really hit you hard.” Catra’s tail twitched in response as if she wanted to say ‘you don’t say’. 

They stayed like this for a while, Adora offering silent comfort while the feline tried to calm down.

“You should… maybe try to get some sleep?” It sounded more of a statement than a question, but Catra shook her head. She couldn’t get her mind to shut up, each time she closed her eyes she saw Shadow Weaver in front of them. She remembered the sound that awful switch made whenever it cut through the air before biting into her bare skin. Her ears twitched and her tail moved more frantically now, how often had the old hag beaten her this time? Catra had lost count after 20 harsh strokes, each one more painful than the last one. Knowing Shadow Weaver, she had probably enjoyed the whole thing. 

She whimpered again and Adora felt her heart break at the tiny, broken sob and gently started to rub the cat’s beaten bottom to help ease the pain. Catra’s reaction was to hiss weakly before relaxing. Her fur, tail, and ears perked up in surprise before she adjusted herself to the warm touch. Then she actually started to pur. Adora smiled softly at the other cadet, she was careful as not to hurt her any further. She could feel Catra relax and calm down a bit, but this was no real surprise.

Whenever Adora was with her, Catra truly felt at ease. Protected and warm even.

Catra’s thoughts were interrupted though when Adora suddenly laid down next to her to pull her into a tight hug. The feline blushed a little bit but didn’t complain. They had stopped cuddling and sleeping together when they became teenagers, but Catra had missed it. Missed this. The feeling of being warm and comfortable, to feel secure and safe. Adora held her tightly, she whispered calming things into the feline’s sensitive ear and finally, her breath evened out. 

“N-never…. Let me go…” Was all she managed to say before Catra finally fell asleep. 

When she woke up later, Adora was still there for her.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for hurting Catra like this...


End file.
